Supreme Court Records Favorable Verdict for TiVo

08 October 2008

WASHINGTON, DC: The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by EchoStar and its satellite unit Dish Networks against an earlier ruling that they had illegally used software developed by TiVo. The duo were ordered to pay the DVR pioneer around $104 million (€76m; £59m).

A federal appeals court had previously ruled that EchoStar and Dish had violated TiVo's patent on a system enabling viewers to watch one program while recording another on their DVRs.

A Dish statement in response to the decision reads: "Because of the Supreme Court's decision, we will pay TiVo approximately $104 million.

"The money is in an escrow account and will be released to Tivo in the next few days."

A ruling on whether EchoStar has to pay further damages to TiVo because it did not turn off its DVRs when ordered to do so by the courts – instead using a "work-around" not infringing TiVo's rights – is still to be decided.

Speaking about this matter, Dish says: "We believe that the design-around does not infringe TiVo's patent and that TiVo's pending motion for contempt should be denied."